1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of user interfaces for computer systems. In particular, this invention relates to an improved user interface for scrolling a visible portion of a document within a window in a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
A user interface is the means by which a user interacts with a computer system. Known user interface utilize windows and icons in conjunction with a cursor control device. The cursor control device, commonly a mouse or trackball device is used to position a cursor on a display. The mouse or trackball typically includes a switch having at least two positions for generating signals to the computer to indicate a selection or other action by a user. The combination of the windows, ICONs, and a cursor control device allows a user to operate in a visual "point and click" fashion rather then through the typing of terse computer commands. "Point and click" operation refers to positioning a cursor on a display so it is over a desired icon, setting a switch (usually a button) on the cursor control device into a second position (usually by depressing the button) and immediately resetting the switch in a first position (usually by releasing the button). The "click" generally refers to tactile and audible feedback to the user on depressing and releasing the button. An example of such a user interface is the Finder.TM. interface of the Macintosh.RTM. family of Computers available from Apple.RTM. Computer Inc. of Cupertino, California. The Finder interface as implemented allows a user to locate, manage and organize data files and applications on the Macintosh Computer System. Portions of this point and click interface, as well as a mouse, have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,652.
The Macintosh system organizes files in a hierarchical fashion. Hierarchical files systems are well known in the art and have been utilized on numerous computer systems, e.g. the UNIX.RTM. (a registered trademark of AT&T) operating system. A directory in a hierarchical file system is comprised of items. These items include data files, executable code files, and other directories (e.g. sub-directories) that are directly accessible. The Macintosh system uses the term folder to denote a directory or sub-directory.
As utilized by the Finder interface, a window displays the contents of a folder or a storage medium (e.g. a diskette). Known computer systems, including the Macintosh Computer, allow for the concurrent display of multiple windows. A desirable feature of the Finder interface is the ability to select an item or set of items in one window and move them to another window. This feature is described with reference to FIG. 1a ".COPYRGT. 1986 Apple Computer, Incorporated" (17 U.S.C. 401). FIG. 1a illustrates a first window 1 and a second window 2, both open on display 3. To utilize this feature, the user moves the cursor (e.g. by moving the mouse) to position it over the item to be selected and then places the switch associated with the mouse in a predetermined position (usually in the down position); this indicates to the computer system that the item has been selected (typically for some further action to be specified by the user). In FIG. 1a, the item 4 has been selected. To move the selected item, the user keeps the switch in the predetermined position and the cursor over the item and then moves the cursor to another window (e.g. window 2 in FIG. 1a). With the Finder interface, an outline of the selected item will move with the cursor to the second window 2. This is often called "dragging" the item. At this point, the user may release the switch associated with the mouse into an up position and the item 4 will appear in the second window 2. With the Finder interface, this has the effect of moving the selected item(s) from one folder (directory or sub-directory) to another folder (directory or sub-directory) or copying the item(s) from one storage medium, to another storage medium, e.g. a diskette to a fixed hard disk. If the movement of the item is characterized as a movement from one folder to a second folder, the item 4 would disappear from window 1, otherwise item 4 would remain in window 1 as well as be displayed in window 2. Additionally, the Finder interface allows items to be removed from a window and placed on the Finder desktop and further allows selected items to be copied to ICONs located on the Finder desktop, the ICONs representing folders or a storage medium. These capabilities are well known to users of the Macintosh Computer System and have been described in numerous references.
A window (also called a visible display area) utilized by the Finder interface is illustrated in FIG. 1b ".COPYRGT. 1986 Apple Computer, Incorporated" (17 U.S.C. 401). A data display area 101 contains names and ICONs of items within that particular folder or storage medium, 102. The ICON represents the type of item, i.e. a folder, data file or executable code file. The window is further comprised of window control means, including a zoombox 103, a title bar 104, a closebox 105, a title 106, a horizontal scroll box 107, a horizontal scroll bar 121, a left scroll arrow scroll box 107, a horizontal scroll bar 121, a left scroll arrow 108, a right scroll arrow 109, a size box 110, a vertical scroll box 112, a vertical scroll bar 122, an up scroll arrow 111, and a down scroll arrow 113. Use of the window control means identified in FIG. 1 will be familiar to users of the Apple Macintosh computer.
When the data and/or document which is being displayed within the window is larger than the data display area 101 or the window, some of the data is "hidden". This "hidden" data can be brought into the data display area 101 through scrolling. Scrolling refers to moving the data/document in a user defined direction in order to bring "hidden" portions within the data display area 101. Known window interfaces provide different methods for scrolling. One method is to provide predetermined scroll areas where scrolling can be invoked; e.g. scroll bars, scroll arrows or scroll boxes. Using this method, the user positions the cursor in the scroll area and a switch associated with the cursor control device is placed in a predetermined position or clicked. Scrolling will occur in a direction and manner associated with the particular scroll area. A second method is to initiate scrolling whenever the computer system detects that a cursor is on or near the edge of the window and a switch associated with the cursor device is in a predetermined position. Scrolling will then occur in a corresponding direction of the window edge detected. A third known method, primarily used in application software, allows a user to select an icon from a function palette, to enable the cursor to control movement of the data within the window in a corresponding fashion. This action is analogous to moving a flat piece of paper around on a desk with one's hand.
The Finder interface, as shown in FIG. 1b, provides three alternative means for scrolling. It should first be noted that the position of scroll boxes 112 and 107 within the scroll bars 122 and 121 respectively, represent a relative position of the data being displayed, within the document. In a first direct means to move the data display area 101 vertically, the cursor is moved into the vertical scroll box 112 and the switch associated with the cursor control device is placed and kept in a predetermined position while the cursor control device is manipulated to cause the cursor to be moved vertically, which also causes the vertical scroll box 112 to be moved vertically within the vertical scroll bar 122, in a corresponding fashion. As long as the switch is kept in the predetermined position, the vertical position of the scroll box 112 is determined by the vertical displacement of the cursor. When the switch is taken out of the predetermined position, the vertical scroll box 112 is deposited at its current location and the data within the visible area 101 of the window shown in FIG. 1a will have scrolled according to the final position of the vertical scroll box 112 relative to the original position of the vertical scroll box 112. In this manner, some or all of the hidden data and/or document within the window will be scrolled into the data display area 101.
A second method for vertical scrolling is by positioning the cursor at a desired location within the scroll area 122 and clicking on the switch associated with the cursor control device. It should be noted that the vertical scroll area 122 may be either atop and/or below the vertical scroll box 112. By positioning the cursor either above or below the vertical scroll box 112 and clicking the switch on the cursor control device, the "next windowful" of data will be displayed. If the cursor is positioned above the vertical scroll box 112, the "next windowful" will be above the data that is currently being displayed. If the cursor is positioned below the vertical scroll box 112, the "next windowful" will be below the data that is currently being displayed. "Next windowful" refers to data adjacent to that which is currently being displayed, up to the amount allowable by the data display area 101.
A third means for vertical scrolling may be accomplished by manipulating the cursor control device to position the cursor over the directional arrows 111 or 113 and then placing the switch in a predetermined position; the data and/or document within the window will scroll in the appropriate direction (until the data and/or document has been scrolled completely to the particular vertical end) while the cursor is kept over the appropriate arrow 108 or 109 and the switch is kept in the predetermined position. This is often called scrolling by line.
An example of the result of vertical scrolling is illustrated by comparing FIG. 1b with FIG. 1c ".COPYRGT. 1986 Apple Computer, Incorporated" (17 U.S.C. 401). To reveal more items which are hidden in the view shown in FIG. 1b, either the vertical scroll box 112 is moved downward or the cursor is placed over the down scroll arrow 113 and the switch is placed in the predetermined position. The results of such scrolling is illustrated in FIG. 1b. Referring to FIG. 1b, items 114, 115, and 116 represent the three topmost items listed. After a vertical scroll, the display is as illustrated in FIG. 1c. The items 114, 115, and 116 have been scrolled off of the screen. Item 117, which was the fourth listed item in FIG. 1b, is now the first item in FIG. 1c. Additionally, more items, i.e. items 118, 119, and 120 are now visible in the display, Further, the vertical scroll box 112 has been vertically displaced to reflect a vertical scrolling and a relative position of the items displayed.
Horizontal scrolling is accomplished in a similar fashion with the horizontal scroll box 107, the horizontal scroll area 121 or the horizontal scroll arrows 108 and 109. In the Finder interface, horizontal scrolling is disabled when the items are being viewed by "by Name". Viewing by name refers to a disk display of the items with certain characteristic information included (e.g. size, kind, and last modified). Alternatively, the items may be viewed as ICONs. When viewed as ICONs, horizontal scrolling is enabled.
As noted aboved, it is a desirable feature of the Finder interface to be able to select and move or copy items to and from open windows. For known window interfaces, this feature is mutually exclusive with the scrolling method where the cursor is detected in a predetermined area (e.g. the scroll bars or the scroll arrows) and the switch associated with the cursor control device is in a predetermined position. The reason for this is to avoid undesired results. For example, unintended scrolling may occur if selected items are being "dragged" from one window to another. This occurs because the switch associated with the cursor control device will be in the position to invoke scrolling and in order to position the cursor to another window, a window edge and a scroll area will usually be entered and detection in the scroll area will cause scrolling to occur.
In the instance where selected item(s) are being moved to a folder that is "hidden" in the window, prior methods of accomplishing this task are cumbersome and unproductive. Such methods include selecting the items, "dragging" and depositing the item(s) on the Finder desktop, scrolling to the desired folder, re-selecting the item(s) from the Finder desktop and "dragging" the items for deposit into the desired folder. A second method would be to open the desired folder as a second window, scrolling and selecting the desired item(s), "dragging" the selected item(s) across the windows depositing the item(s) in the second window, and closing the window representing the desired folder. In each of these methods the desired items are selected and dragged, but require additional operations to accomplish the task. Moreover, each of these methods is premised on the feature that an item may be "dragged" and deposited outside of the window in which it was selected. Thus, it is desirable to provide for scrolling in a window when item(s) have been selected and are being "dragged" to a folder within the same window.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for scrolling; where it is possible to select an item(s) within a window, drag the item(s) and invoke scrolling of data within the window when the cursor is detected in a predetermined area of the window for a predetermined period of time.